


Easier

by allwaswell16



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alternate Universe - America, Alternate Universe - Candy Shop, Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Angst with a Happy Ending, Destiny, Epilogue, Exes, Exes to Lovers, Fate, Getting Back Together, M/M, Omega Harry Styles, Omega Louis, Omega/Omega, POV Harry Styles, POV Louis, Smut, Soul Bond, Soulmate-Identifying Marks
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-16
Updated: 2019-07-16
Packaged: 2020-06-28 13:43:38
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,148
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19813498
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/allwaswell16/pseuds/allwaswell16
Summary: The last person Louis wants to see is his ex-boyfriend who also happens to be his soulmate.





	Easier

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Falling Back](https://archiveofourown.org/works/16015676) by [allwaswell16](https://archiveofourown.org/users/allwaswell16/pseuds/allwaswell16). 



> As linked and noted, this fic began life as a drabble that I wrote last year. I liked the idea of exes to lovers soulmates, and I decided I might try and write it for this challenge. As I'm writing all a/b/o fics for the five weeks of the Wordplay challenge, I went with an omega/omega pairing for this one. Hope you enjoy it! 
> 
> This is part of a Wordplay prompt challenge for the prompt "tin". To read the amazing fics that were written by the others on this prompt, [click here](https://archiveofourown.org/collections/tin_tin), and to see all fics written as part of the challenge (including years 1 and 2), [click here](https://archiveofourown.org/collections/wordplay_fic_challenge/works). You can also find the masterpost for this year’s challenge [here](https://wordplayfics.tumblr.com/post/185709101043/wordplay-2019-every-week-for-five-weeks-a-prompt).

  


Fuck, he’s so late for work. 

He clambers aboard the bus to find only one seat open. He feels lucky for about two seconds. “Nope.”

The bus rumbles forward before he can scurry back off of it, and he stumbles in the aisle, catching himself on the back of a seat. With a deep sigh, he turns, forced to face the last person he wants to see right now. His ex. His soulmate. His Harry.

Fucking hell.

He slumps into the last open seat next to Harry. “Fucking soulbonds.”

“Hi, Lou. You’ll have to hear me out some time, you know? I’ve got fate on my side.”

“No.”

Harry just grins. “See you again soon, then.”

He stares at him, watching his soulmate as he puts in his AirPods and starts listening to his indie hipster shit music with a big smile on his stupidly handsome face. He doesn’t know how Harry can be so damn sure about all this. They’re one in a million, he and Harry. An omega being soulmates with another omega is almost completely unheard of.

“Why are you taking the bus anyway?”

Harry removes an AirPod from one ear as though to hear the question better. “I let my sister borrow my car today.”

Louis narrows his eyes. “You never let your sister borrow anything. You wouldn’t let her borrow fifty cents from you. Why would you lend her your car?”

Harry just shrugs, a shit eating grin on his face. “Destiny, Lou. It made you late for work, and it made me extra generous today. All so we could sit together on the bus, and so you can just get used to the idea that we’re never going to be over.”

Harry puts the AirPod back in his ear.

Louis sulks all the way to Lampariello’s. Sometimes, he really wishes he didn’t work at the place they met, at the place that their soulmarks burned themselves into their skin. He tugs the sleeve of his shirt more firmly over the rope burned into the outside of his wrist. He gets off the bus without saying goodbye to Harry. He knows it’s rude, but he’s just in a really shit mood.

He stands on the sidewalk outside the hundred year old confectionary and soda shop he’s worked at since he was sixteen and watches the bus carry Harry away from him towards campus. A pang of guilt hits him in the gut as it often does these days. They used to live close to campus in a shitty little apartment, but since Louis broke up with him and moved out, they’ve been subletting it and back to living with their moms. 

The small bells above the door tinkle as he enters. 

“You’re late, Louis!” Beth calls out from behind the candy counter.

“I know. Sorry.”

She peaks her head up above the high glass at the pathetic way his voice catches. “You okay?”

“Harry was on the bus.” His shoulders slump at the words. Tears prick at his eyes, but he can’t give in to them. He’s got an entire lunch shift to get through today.

“Oh, Louis.” She clicks her tongue against her teeth and comes around the counter to wrap him in a hug. “Everything is going to be fine. You’ll figure things out. I know you will.”

He lets himself sink into the embrace. She’s the only person in his life who doesn’t think he’s an idiot for what’s happened. She never says things like, _listen to fate_ or _you can’t stop destiny_. 

She gives him one last pat on the head. “Now go get your apron on, you’re late.”

He nods and gives her a watery smile before he grabs one of the trademark blue aprons with Lampariello’s emblazoned with gold off the hooks behind the counter and goes to see what Tom might want him to do before the lunch crowd descends. A supply truck’s just arrived, and he’s grateful for the physical labor that most people wouldn’t expect an omega to do. The Lampariello’s though are all hard workers--beta, omega, alpha--doesn’t matter. Everyone’s expected to pitch in where needed. It’s just one of the many things he likes about them. 

Tom gives him a double take as they load up the dollies to cart various Halloween trappings and food supplies into the store. He’s sure Tom must be able to see the tell tale signs of his red rimmed eyes, but an alpha like Tom would never ask him what’s wrong. For that, he’s fairly grateful at the moment. 

He clears his throat. “Beth and Lisa already getting ready for Halloween? It’s the first of September.”

“They start earlier every year,” Tom grunts as he loads up cases of peanuts and Maraschino cherries. 

They wheel things into the makeshift store rooms before Tom shoos him back to the soda counter as the lunch crowd starts trickling in. A few regulars sit at the counter, chatting with him as he prepares food and drinks and scoops ice cream, and more sit at the old mahogany booths as Lisa takes their orders. 

Everyone’s ordering things Louis could make in his sleep today though. Hot fudge sundaes and Blue River sodas and chicken salad sandwiches on rye. Definitely not enough to keep his mind occupied and off his latest encounter with Harry. 

An older woman sits down at the counter and rests her cane against it. Louis gives her a brief smile and a nod of acknowledgement that he’ll get to her as soon as he finishes up the root beer float he’s scooping ice cream for. 

“Hello, ma’am. What can I get you?”

She taps her fingernail against the small leather bound menu. “I think I’ll have this here Tin Roof Sundae. Reminds me of my Imelda.”

The order jolts him.

She touches her wrist briefly, and Louis’ eyes are drawn to the faded markings of delicately inked vines of ivy. They’re barely visible anymore. Imelda must have passed some time ago now. “I’m sorry for your loss.”

“Oh, it’s been a long time,” she says. “Mostly I’m just sorry I resisted her as long as I did.”

Louis stares at her for a moment. He’s not sure what she means, but he doesn’t want to pry and his orders are starting to back up anyway. He quickly puts a double scoop of ice cream into a glass and tops it with chocolate, peanuts, whipped cream, and a cherry before sliding it across to her.

She smiles and thanks him. He doesn’t see her leave, too caught up with the rest of the orders of the day, but he thinks of her as he walks to the bus stop. When he steps onto the bus, he half expects to see Harry next to the last empty seat again, but he’s not there. In fact, the bus is half empty at this time of day. 

He’s honestly not sure if he’s relieved or disappointed. 

The house is already in an uproar before he even steps inside, everyone overturning everything in the house looking for Phoebe’s lost hamster. He steps cautiously through the chaos straight into the bathroom. He turns the shower on, muffling some of the sounds of his family in their usual loud state. He doesn’t cry though, but only because he’s too tired to cry. It’s exhausting to even think about letting himself cry right now.

He drags himself, still damp from his shower and wearing only a towel, into the room he now shares with Charlotte and flops onto his bed face first. He’s so absorbed in his own misery and his sad song playlist that he doesn’t even notice when she comes in.

“Could you at least put some clothes on, Lou?”

He barely lifts his head from the pillow. “No. Too much effort.”

Charlotte snorts. “You know if you’re so miserable, why are you doing this to yourself? I still talk to Gemma, you know. She says Harry’d take you back in a heartbeat.”

“You just want your room back.” He buries his face in his pillow again.

“I mean, of course I do, but to be honest, I want my brother back more.”

He hears the door click when she leaves the room. 

###

Fate tries her best over the next week, but Louis somehow manages to stay one step ahead of her.

He sees Harry walking into the grocery store just as he’s about to leave and manages to hide next to the cash register until he’d walked farther into the store.

He sees Harry jogging on the bike path just as Louis pulls up with his bike.

He’s in the student union cafe and has just paid for his latte when he sees Harry walk out of the cafe bathroom.

He meets Liam at the library to study and ducks under a table when he sees Harry come in to return a book.

He has a drink with Zayn and manages to leave out the back when he sees Harry walk in with Niall. 

He stops by Niall’s to play video games and sees Harry emerging from the apartment complex’s elevator and just manages to get to the stairs before Harry sees him.

“You just missed, Harry,” Niall says when he answers the door.

“I know. Saw him come out of the elevator, so I took the stairs.”

Niall snorts. “Very mature.”

Louis stiffens. “If you’re gonna lecture me about soulmates, I’ll just go.”

“Sit your ass down, Tommo. Not gonna lecture you. Let’s just play some FIFA and eat some cupcakes.”

“You made cupcakes?”

“Psssh. Do I look like a baker? I meant the chocolate ones with the swirl on top. Hostess ones.”

“Oh, right.” 

He plays FIFA with Niall until he absolutely has to leave in order to make it to work on time, especially since he’s walking there. Just as he walks down the hill towards Lampariello’s, he sees Harry in front of the store, standing there with his head down, his fingers pinching his bottom lip. He freezes in his tracks, waiting to see what Harry’s going to do. Harry turns on his heel and walks away. Letting out a sigh of relief, he keeps walking towards the store.

The lunch rush is in full swing with every booth filled and nearly every seat at the counter occupied. Charlie’s behind the counter today. He looks swamped with orders, so Louis quickly grabs an apron and gets started on the next ticket.

“Unexpected bus group,” Charlie mutters as he puts up a few sandwiches and tosses pickles on the plates. “You staying late tonight?”

“Yeah, helping Beth make stuff. I think I’m dipping caramel apples or something.”

“Better you than me.”

Louis rolls his eyes. “Great.” 

They get through most of the orders when Louis notices the older woman again at the end of the counter, her cane propped up next to her just like the last time she was here. She’s just people watching from the looks of it, her sundae long eaten by now though no one has cleared away the glass dish yet. She smiles at him as he grabs it. “Let me get this out of your way.”

“Oh, don’t you worry about that. Very busy in here today. My Imelda would have caused a ruckus though. An impatient alpha by nature, I suppose. I’ve always prided myself on being more in control of my emotions though. I always felt it was my duty as an alpha’s mate to keep in control even if it went against my own alpha nature.”

This bit of information startles him, the glass wobbling in his hand.

“Oh, you can be surprised. I’m used to it by now. My Imelda and I were probably the only soulmates for a hundred miles who were a same gendered pair.”

Louis doesn’t correct her to tell her that he’s part of one, too. “It’s pretty rare.”

“Yes. It is. I made a fuss about it at first. Didn’t want to give in to the notion. Oh, I was in love with her from the beginning, but I just couldn’t live with knowing I couldn’t give her what every alpha wants.”

Louis clears his throat. “Um, how did you end up together then?”

She smiles as though she was waiting for the question. “Well, my Imelda was pretty persistent, mind you. But eventually, I could see I was just making us both miserable, and we weren’t going to stop loving each other just because I couldn’t give her any children or be a docile, omega housewife.”

Louis raises an eyebrow at her description.

“No offense meant,” she says with a laugh.

“Mhm, well I’m not exactly a docile housewife just yet.”

She smiles. “I sensed that. You may think me a bit outspoken, but my Imelda was something else. Alpha through and through. Her mark was the flower of a trumpet vine. I always thought that was so appropriate. The trumpet bit, I mean. Very loud.”

He thinks about the faded leaves he saw still faintly marking her skin. He wrenches his hand back from his own mark, a rope tied into an infinity symbol, that he’d been touching unconsciously. 

She notices.

“You’ve met your soulmate then? Bit young, but then so was I. Of course, it was quite common when I was young to meet your soulmate early. Much less so now what with everyone moving about so much.”

“Yeah, I--well, I should--”

“Go, go! Don’t let me get you fired with my chattering.”

“It’s been nice chatting with you though, ma’am.”

She just smiles as he turns back to clear things into the dishwasher, and when he looks back again, she’s gone. But their conversation doesn’t leave him as he walks to the bus stop or on the ride back to his mom’s or when he’s flung himself across his bed again or when he stares at the ceiling wishing for sleep.

Charlotte turns over in bed to face him. “Lou, you still awake?”

“Yeah.”

“Can I ask you something?”

“Sure.”

“Why did you and Harry break up? I mean, I know soulmates don’t always work out, just look at mom. But I just really thought you were happy with Harry.”

Somehow the truth is always easier in the darkness. 

He takes a deep breath and lets it out slowly. “It wasn’t really about whether or not I was happy.”

“What else is there to think about?” She sounds genuinely curious as though love and soulmarks is all anyone needs.

He turns to face her. “Harry’s just so _sure_. And I’m just--not. The obvious problem is that we’re both omegas, but that’s not really the biggest issue for me. Um--probably the main reason we broke up is because I kept telling Harry I wasn’t ready for more commitment yet.”

“What, like marriage?”

“Yeah.” His voice hitches. “He um--well, he proposed anyway and I--”

“Oh god.”

“Yeah.”

Charlotte sighs. “Yeah, I see. 

“I don’t really know what I’m doing,” he whispers to the night.

“Does anyone?”

Somehow her response makes him feel a little better.

###

Louis drags himself into work. The smiles and hellos die on everyone’s faces as soon as they see him. He knows he looks terrible, thanks. Do they need to be so obvious about it? He has a beanie on because he couldn’t even make himself comb his hair today. Pathetic.

It’s the two year anniversary of the day they found each other, the day an anchor appeared on Harry’s skin as Louis placed a Tin Roof Sundae in front of him and their fingers barely grazed each other. He’d been confused at first at the pain of the rope burning itself into his skin. And then he’d looked up into Harry’s eyes, gleaming with emotion. 

“You’re my soulmate!” Harry had said with excitement.

“You’re my soulmate,” he’d said with confusion. He could smell the sweet scent of orange on Harry’s skin. It didn’t make any sense.

But he hadn’t denied Harry. He hadn’t. He’d let Harry and his friends and family all believe he’d been whisked away with the notion of soulmates even if people did look at them a bit funny when they found out. It was very rare after all, two omegas. But that didn’t mean he didn’t have his own doubts. Not everyone ends up with their soulmate. 

He’s glad he has the later shift today. No way could he have dragged himself here any earlier. He grabs an apron and heads towards the counter to help Charlie when he stops dead in his tracks. Everyone had been looking at him oddly when he walked in not because he looked terrible, but because Harry is here. 

Of fucking course. 

He’d thought he couldn’t feel worse today, but fate has reared her ugly head once again. Wait. This isn’t fate. This is _Harry’s_ fault. Fate didn’t force him to come to Louis’ workplace and sit at the counter in the exact seat where they touched for the first time. 

He stomps behind the counter and looks at the next ticket. Ham and Swiss on rye with mayo. Chips. A pickle. He grabs slices of rye bread.

“Louis?”

“Yes, Charlie?” He slaps mayonnaise onto the bread.

“Er--you do see who’s here, right?”

“Customers, Charlie. Customers are here.” He tosses two slices of Swiss cheese onto the bread.

“Lou?”

He drops the ham in his hands at the sound of his name said in his soulmate’s voice. It sends a thrill through him even as he tries to not let it affect him the way it always has. He can’t ignore Harry when he’s right in front of him. 

He looks as terrible as Louis feels, purple touches beneath his lovely green and gold eyes and sadness etched into the creases of his forehead. It’s too much. He feels his eyes well up with tears, and he wipes at his eyes roughly. “What are you doing here, Harry?”

He sees the stubbornness cross Harry’s face. “It’s our day, Lou. I had to see you on our day.”

Louis wipes a hand down his face. “What do you want to order?”

Harry’s lips press together into a thin line. “Tin Roof Sundae.”

“Fine.”

He nearly breaks the glass cup as he slams it on the counter and plops two scoops of vanilla ice cream into the dish. He drenches it in chocolate sauce and peanuts and tosses two cherries on top by accident in his rush to make it. 

He slides it across the counter, careful not to touch Harry’s skin as though it could somehow burn a new mark into his skin. But Harry smiles a little. 

“What?”

“There are two cherries.”

“Yeah, so?”

“They’re connected.” Harry holds up the cherries, still connected by their stems. Harry smiles now, a bit wistful as he looks at the cherries. 

Harry doesn’t say a word as he eats his sundae, and Louis fills orders with Charlie who keeps looking at him as though he might break into pieces at any second. But he can feel Harry watching him as he works. Out of the corner of his eye, he sees Harry stand up. He can’t stop himself from looking back.

“Sorry,” Harry says quietly, almost too quietly for Louis to hear him over the noise of the shop. “I just had to at least see you today.”

Louis nods. He does understand, even if he still can’t be sure like Harry. He knows all of this is his fault. He knows no one really gets why he can’t just go along with _destiny_ without being sure. 

“I’d really like to talk to you again sometime, Lou. It doesn’t have to mean anything. Just a talk.”

Harry doesn’t wait for a reply as though he hadn’t expected one, and Louis can’t help but watch him walk away. His eyes still greedy for the sight of him.

He’s glad the rest of the lunch crowd keeps him busy until close. He sits with a thump in the back kitchen to wait for Beth. She peeks her head in. “You want anything? I’m going to make myself a hot fudge sundae.”

“Tin Roof,” he says before he can stop herself. Her eyes soften, but she just nods. He can’t even rationalize why he wants to eat one right now. 

She carefully sets down the dish of ice cream in front of him and doesn’t speak a word as they eat next to the boxes of apples they need to sort through. She’s waiting for him to speak first, he realizes. And if he doesn’t say anything, she’ll leave it be. He’s always liked Beth.

He always gave the cherry to Harry, so he leaves it sitting in the bottom of the dish before he looks up at Beth. “You know how you always say I’ll figure it out?”

“Yes?”

“I haven’t figured out shit.”

She lets out a loud, surprised laugh that makes him smile. She pulls the box of apples in front of them. “Well, there’s not necessarily a deadline on figuring everything out.”

“Isn’t there? Because I don’t think Harry’s gonna wait forever for me to figure myself out.”

She tilts her head. “Really? I rather thought he would.”

He shrugs. She might be right. He starts sorting the apples into the proper boxes as they talk. “Fine, I guess he might, but I’m really fucking him up in the meantime.”

Beth sighs. “Maybe. But people tend to get a bit carried away with the idea of soulmates. I’m sure you know that Terry isn’t my soulmate.”

He nods. Her wrist has never shown any sign of a mark. 

“But that doesn’t mean that I’m not committed to my husband, committed to spending my life with him. I love him, and he loves me, and we don’t want to be with anyone else.” She smiles, soft and kind. “We fit pretty well together.”

He thinks about the mark of a crescent moon on Terry’s wrist. He doesn’t ask about that though. Whatever happened with Terry’s soulmate, it’s Terry’s story to tell. They _have_ always seemed to fit together so well. Terry works at Lampariello’s, too, and he’s as much a fixture as anything in the place. 

“I hope you don’t mind me saying this, but I always thought you and Harry fit together pretty well, too.”

Louis snorts. “Well, we’re soulmates.”

“You know that isn’t the only requirement. Isn’t that what we’re talking about?” She looks at him, tilting her head again. “This doesn’t have to do with you both being omegas, does it?”

“Not really.” He grabs the boxes of sticks to poke through the apples and hands her a box as well. “Obviously, being with another omega isn’t what I imagined would happen, but it sort of makes sense when I think about it.”

Beth looks like she’s hiding a smile.

“What?” He demands.

“Nothing. Just--you’re a bit prickly on the outside but a soft marshmallow on the inside.”

“Hey now--”

“It’s not a bad thing! Just something I’ve noticed about you from the start, not really the average omega, but then again, neither is Harry. I’ve always thought you took care of each other in really complementary ways.”

“Oh. Uh--I guess maybe that’s kind of true.”

“Do you love him? You don’t have to answ--”

“Yes,” he says firmly. “I do. That’s not the issue. He just--always wants more than I can give him.”

“Mmm. Yeah, I could see that.” She pokes a stick through an apple. “You know I saw the moment your mark formed.”

“Really?” She’s never said before.

“I’d been watching him when he came in. You know he’d come in a few times before he worked up to sitting at the counter?”

“What?” Louis’ hands still on the apple he’s holding. 

“He came in, oh, two or three times and bought a few candies before he finally walked past me and headed to the back. I remember wondering if he was going to ask you out on a date this time.”

“He’s never told me this.”

“And then I watched as your fingers touched and you clutched your wrist and I knew what had happened. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a man as astonished by his own luck as Harry that day. I think he would have whisked you off to get married ten minutes after meeting you.”

Louis can’t help the twitch of his lips. 

“I know you’ve had a hard time explaining to people about why you needed this time apart, but I hope you know that as your friend and as someone I care about, I’ll support whatever decisions you make. I understand feeling pressured and pushed, but if you’re unhappy, I think you need to consider what _does_ make you happy.” She pauses. “I think I’ve seen you truly happy, Louis.”

His shoulder slump a bit. “Yeah. I was happy. With Harry. I just--couldn’t--it was all happening too fast for me. And I hated disappointing him, so I went along with it for a while. It just felt like a runaway train that I couldn’t stop until finally I had to throw the emergency brake.”

Beth reaches across the clasps his shoulder. “It’s okay, Louis. It’s okay that you felt like that, but maybe it’s a talk you need to have with Harry.”

“Yeah. I mean, I tried--sort of--but I just couldn’t say it right somehow. And then things just got out of hand.”

“I thought you were plenty clear just now with me.”

He nods. “Guess we better dip these things, now, huh?”

She smiles as she stands up. “I’ll do the ones rolled in peanuts; you do the plain ones.”

###

Louis stakes out a spot beneath a huge oak tree to wait outside the engineering building with a good vantage point of everyone walking in and out of the building. He bites his thumb nail as he waits for Harry after the last class of his day. He’s not one to leave things up to fate, so he’s not counting on taking the chance they’ll be thrown together again soon.

The bell tower chimes three times, and students begin to pour out of the building. At first he’s worried he won’t spot him, but he’s wearing the green beanie Louis bought him for his birthday. Louis rolls his eyes at himself at the thought he wouldn’t be able to pick Harry out of a crowd. He stands up and lets Harry get closer, except Harry’s head is bent over staring at his phone as he walks. 

“Harry?”

Harry stops so suddenly, the alpha behind him runs into him. “Sorry.”

“It’s okay. My fault,” Harry mumbles. He turns back to Louis and searches his face as though the answers to the universe will reveal themselves across Louis’ nose. “Hey, Lou. Fancy meeting you here.”

He can’t stop the snort. “Yeah, I sort of purposely met you here.”

Harry gives him a small smile. “Yeah, I figured.”

“I thought we should talk. And I know you’ve been trying to talk to me, I do. I just wasn’t ready to talk yet, I guess.”

“Okay,” Harry says slowly, stretching out the word.

There are still quite a few students milling about, so Louis jerks his head towards the slough. “We could walk down there?”

Harry just nods his acquiescence. There’s a brief awkward moment, one born of muscle memory, when Harry reaches for his hand, but he pulls it back with a jerk as though he might get burned. It twists his heart that Harry’s so unsure of him now, but it’s obviously not without reason. With a sigh, he leads them down a sloping hill towards the water. The gazebo that sits alongside it is blessedly empty, and they both somehow just know to head towards it. 

Louis’ not sure whether to sit or stand, not sure where the conversation will take them. Long or short. Sad or happy. Harry sits, so Louis does, too. Not too close, but not too far either.

“I’ve been doing a lot of thinking. And talking--mostly with Beth, a little with Charlotte. They’re really the only people who will listen.”

“I want to listen.”

“Yeah? I mean, I know you want to now, but before--”

“I know I didn’t before. I know, Lou. Sorry, sorry, I’m interrupting again.” Harry’s eyes widen as he claps a hand over his mouth.

Louis huffs out a laugh. “It’s okay. I won’t be leaving here until I say what I came to say.”

Harry nods, his hands still covering his mouth. He can’t help but roll his eyes fondly at the picture Harry makes.

“It just felt like my life was moving in fast forward, and there was nothing I could do to make it pause or just play at a normal speed. Every time I tried to tell you, it just felt like I was disappointing you. I’d see the light dim in your eyes every time I said I wasn’t ready for the next step, so I stopped saying it. And I guess that’s where things went wrong.”

Harry nods again, and Louis can tell he’s trying to choke back his tears. Sometimes it’s really hard that they’re both omegas, trying to navigate their relationship. “I can’t force you to love me, Louis. I can’t make you want to be with me. No matter how right it feels for me when we’re together, it’s not right if you don’t feel it, too. I’m so sorry I kept pushing you and pushing you until it just ended up pushing you away.”

“No, no, no, no,” Louis doesn’t stop his instinct to go to him and slides across the bench to wrap his arms around Harry. “I _do_ love you, Harry. I do. More than anything. But if you haven’t noticed by now, we’re not exactly typical omegas.”

Harry gives him a teary smile. 

Louis takes a breath. “You’re not my alpha either Harry. And I don’t want an alpha. I want you. I don’t need you to provide for me, I just want to be your partner in this relationship. And I want us to make decisions together, especially the big ones.”

He can see the light reenter Harry’s eyes, gleaming gold in the autumn afternoon sun. “Okay, I can--we can work on that.”

“I mean, you’re going to be an engineer one day, and I want to teach. So we’re going to have a huge difference in income, but we’re still us. We’re still two omegas who are soulmates, who still have to work on the things that make us a one in a million pairing.”

Harry chews on his bottom lip. “What does this mean for us then, Louis? Are we back together then? I don’t want to assume things anymore.”

“Yeah, if you want to be. I’m sorry I thought it would be easier to go than to stay. I’ll never know if that was the right choice, but I’m glad now to be talking to you about everything. And I think now I’ll be a lot happier if you kiss me.”

### Epilogue ###

“That’s the last of it!” He says as he sets down the box with a huff. He glances up to see Louis lounging across their couch, his eyes roaming Harry’s body. Harry feels his cock twitch. Louis licks his lips, and he feels slick begin to form. “Er--we should really start unpacking.”

Their new apartment is so much nicer than the last one. The money Harry’s making even just starting out as an engineer is enough for them to afford it, and it’s enough for Louis to go to grad school, which makes Harry so incredibly happy that he can do that for him. Even if it took a lot of talking and compromising, he’s glad that they can work on things like this together. 

“I can smell your slick from here,” Louis announces with a quirk of his lips and the waggle of his eyebrows. 

He already knows he’s going to give in to Louis; he usually does after all. But the peek of red underwear from beneath Louis’ jean shorts has him crossing the room as quickly as he can, nearly knocking over boxes in this path. He can smell Louis’ own potent vanilla scent as he crashes into him with an oof. “Sorry.”

Louis just laughs. 

They’re both a bit sticky with sweat from hauling everything into the apartment, but even his sore muscles can’t keep him from wanting Louis. He presses his lips to Louis’, inhaling his giggles until the kiss deepens, and Louis’ arms wrap around his neck, pulling him in closer. 

His fingers roam beneath the cut off t-shirt Louis has on, and he feels the jump of Louis’ stomach muscles as his fingers find the button fly of his shorts. Harry’s deft fingers quickly unbutton them and slide them off Louis’ hips beneath him without ever leaving Louis’ lips. 

Louis pulls back with a gasp, and Harry uses the opportunity to let his lips and tongue and teeth guide him along beneath the loose neck of Louis’ shirt. 

“Off, off,” Louis pants, and he knows that Louis means his shirt, his clothes. “Yours, too.”

Harry sits back on his heels, peeling off his own shirt for Louis’ greedy eyes. He preens a bit at how Louis’ looks at him before quickly disposing of Louis’ shirt and tugging off his shorts so that Louis lays before him in just a pair of very brief red underwear. He whimpers a bit at the sight, and Louis just grins. He knows what he’s doing to him.

Harry jumps up from the couch and quickly pulls off his own shorts and boxer briefs, his cock already ready for Louis and slick-wet with wanting him. Before he can even get back to Louis, he’s bending himself over the arm of the couch, slick running down his thighs. 

“Fuck, Louis.”

“Exactly, now come do it.”

Harry doesn’t have to be asked twice. He cups Louis’ ass in his hands, giving them a quick squeeze as Louis wiggles a bit on the couch in anticipation. He drags one finger through Louis’ slick before teasing at his hole and then sliding it inside him. Louis moans and presses back against the finger inside him. He can tell how impatient Louis is for him though, so he doesn’t drag it out. He pulls it out, tasting the sweet taste of Louis on his finger before using his own slick on his cock before sliding into Louis. The feeling is like nothing else in the universe, being a part of Louis is the best thing that’s ever happened to him. 

Their scents mingle in the air sweet and heady as Harry presses himself in further and then sliding back a bit in a stuttered rhythm, his arms shaking a bit holding himself against Louis’ body without crushing him. His brain is a fog of Louis’ scent and Louis’ body and Louis’ heart, but he suddenly realizes Louis is saying his name, not as a moan but to get his attention.

“What?” He asks, his brain still hazy, but he still inside him.

“Want to turn over.”

“Oh.”

He quickly pulls out and finds he’s even happier to be treated to the sight of Louis’ glazed over eyes, hooded with desire for him. “Want to see you.”

Harry smiles at that and then pushes Louis’ legs up at the knees before plunging himself back inside him. Louis’ moans grow louder and his hands hold onto his hips as though to push Harry to go faster, harder. He gathers Louis up further into his arms to go deeper and he feels the push of Louis’ finger moving through his slick and against his hole.

“Yes,” he hisses into Louis’ ear as Louis’ finger enters him. And then, he’s coming and his moans are Louis’ moans and Louis’ coming between them with Harry’s name on his lips. They’re a mess. A heap of limbs and slick and come on their couch that is going to need a thorough cleaning after this. 

“I’m so happy,” he mumbles against Louis’ skin.

“So am I.”

The rose gold of Harry’s engagement ring shines in the light streaming in the windows, and Harry holds up his hand to look at his newest piece of jewelry. He’s only had it for about twenty-four hours. 

“It’s perfect,” Harry says, not for the first time.

“I had to find the perfect ring for my perfect boy, didn’t I?”

Harry snuggles in against Louis’ chest. “When do you want to go and pick yours out?”

Louis glances around the room. “How about after we unpack these boxes?”

  
  
  
  


  
  


**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading! If you enjoyed it, please leave kudos and comments! And if you could [reblog this fic post](https://allwaswell16.tumblr.com/post/186331044501/easier-an-abo-fic-by-allwaswell16-words-6k) or [retweet this tweet](https://twitter.com/all_was_well_16/status/1151169486390779910), I'll love you forever!
> 
> Thank you as always to my writing soulmate and beta, [taggiecb](https://archiveofourown.org/users/taggiecb/pseuds/taggiecb)! Sorry, I'm making you read so much a/b/o. mwahahaha!


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